Saturday, August 7, 2010

One cream puff for every year...

As I mentioned exactly a month ago, I'm turning 40 this year. And it kinda knocked me over a bit. So, I started my celebration last month and will continue to celebrate the end of my 30's until December 7, 2010. Today I'm 39 8/12. (And yes, math nerds, I know I can reduce that to 2/3, but just work with me here... ;)

Last week, Chef-in-Training Johnson & Wales student Rosie came over and taught me and my friends how to make Challah (see post here), Cream Puffs and Pastry Cream. I've always been afraid of pastry cream, but Rosie's excellent teaching technique brought us two perfect batches: vanilla and chocolate.

Aren't these cute? Just wait til you see what's inside...

Oh yes! Glorious chocolate and vanilla pastry cream. I could (and did) eat a boatload of these little gems of goodness.

Here is the 8/12th cream puff! :) Heading toward 40...

We used Vanilla Paste - an inexpensive alternative to real vanilla beans. It gives you all the flecks of vanilla beans for much less green.

Making some cream puffs. Rosie brought over her family's sheet tray...um, it has some "patina" on it.

To enter, just leave a comment (if you aren't connected to a blog, leave your email address...and if you have a blogger account but it's private so I can't see it...leave your email address). Deadline is Saturday, August 14, 2010 at midnight PDT. (*Updated 8/8: I had Wed 8/14, but that is wrong so it is now corrected to Saturday, 8/14! Thanks Edana for the correction!)

No recipes?! The cream puffs look absolutely perfect and delicious, makes me want to give them a try. Happy birthday! You're looking at 40 this year and I'm looking at 50 and really trying to ignore it! Thanks - Winniewinl2006atyahoo.com

OH MY,,, these look absolutely delish!!! I have always used Watkins vanilla, but I will look into vanilla paste. Happy Pre-Birthday... When I turned 50, I decided not to use numbers anymore, so I was 50D this year! Next year, 50E....

Now you've got me thinking that I need to start coming up with some interesting way of celebrating my next birthday, since I turn 40 just a couple months after you. =) The cream puffs look delicious. I haven't made any pate a choux for quite a while.

Happy 39 8/12 birthday! Forty is a great age (I was there 15 years ago) and the older you get, the better things are -- they just change a lot. The cream puffs look fabulous. Great post about the challah too, and it's nice to see what you look like after all this time.

Baking and Mistaking #98, I have no idea. We, um, ate them all. :) I have had them the next day and they were fine as long as they were refrigerated. Thanks for visiting, and the pre-bday wishes! - mary the food librarian

I love your birthday countdown! Hahahaha! True, 40 is the new 30. I can't say no to pastry cream. Moreover, I can't say no to cream puffs. Especially these cream puffs that are perfectly leavened. They are beautiful.